In the aftermath of Arsenal’s goalless draw at home with Middlesbrough last week; Arsene Wenger defaulted to what has increasingly become the tune of the second decade in charge of the north London club. “We tried to play and we didn’t win the game. We’ve seen that so many times now,” said Wenger, with the exasperated air of a man who’s seen it all before. Arsenal had 73% but struggled to break down a well-organised Middlesbrough side that played with three in central midfield, and camped in their own half, thereby denying Arsenal the space to probe intelligently as they like to do. Aitor Karanka’s side were indeed excellent at the Emirates but they merely followed the tried and trusted formula of ceding possession to Arsenal in less dangerous areas of the pitch while they wait patiently for them to run out of ideas in the final third as the spaces get tighter and passing lanes are cordoned off. Burnley followed the same template in their meeting earlier this month and were incredibly unlucky to find themselves at the receiving end of a late, narrow defeat.
It was therefore surprising and heart-warming – depending on your affiliation – to see Arsenal emerge as comfortable victors over Sunderland, especially after the home side equalised and it seemed the remaining 35 minutes would be of Arsenal trying to get a winner against a side that seemed intent on frustrating them. But it was not to be as Wenger turned the game on its head by bringing on Olivier Giroud for Alex Iwobi, and the Frenchman scored with his first kick; a familiar face was the solution to a familiar problem, a bit like the sappy Hollywood rom-com where the lovelorn protagonist realises true love has been on their doorstep all along.
When Wenger first played Alexis Sanchez as a centre forward against Everton in August 2014, he was disappointingly ineffectual that he was substituted off at half time and the experiment was abandoned for good, but with Giroud still recovering from his Euro 2016 exertions, Theo Walcott finally recognising that he was no good as a striker, and Lucas Perez acclimatising to the English game, Wenger gave Sanchez another crack as a striker and the Chilean has adapted to his new role to devastating effect; Saturday’s brace took his season tally to eight goals in all competitions. There’s a lot to like about Sanchez as a striker: his ability to drop deep and contribute to build-up play means defenders can be dragged out of position allowing players like Mesut Özil and Walcott can pop up in vital areas to score, as six and eight goals respectively has shown. As a technically gifted player, Sanchez is also capable of taking on defenders and beating them on with pace and skill, something that Giroud, for all his qualities, is incapable of pulling off. But as Arsenal’s eternal struggle against über-defensive sides proves, there’s a time when silk and artistry just won’t cut it and sheer old-school force is the way to go; enter Giroud.
Giroud has often been maligned for not being good enough to lead Arsenal in a title challenge, and he’s also somewhat of a relic in modern football where traditional, in-your-face centre forwards are a dying breed. But criticisms levelled against the Frenchman have always been a little over the top, perhaps because he represents what many people believe is the reason why Wenger refuses to shell out on an expensive new striker. Giroud has improved on a year-on-year basis since he first arrived from Montpellier and while there may be some truth in the assertion that he isn’t of the highest quality, he has shown himself to be a reliable performer who offers something entirely different from his teammates. Arsenal’s attacking group is filled with short, pacy and technically proficient players but Giroud is none of the above, instead he is a throwback to the era of hulking centre-forwards. He is the machete amongst Wenger’s band of Swiss Army knives, a real Plan B. His second goal on Saturday showed why he can be a valuable asset to Arsenal; none of their other attacking options would have been able to tower above Papy Djilobodji to glance the header past Jordan Pickford. If invention and subtlety fail, why not just lump it forward to the big lad upfront? It’s not a stretch to suggest Arsenal would have won against Middlesbrough if Giroud were fit and available.
There’s a wider point to be made here about the strength of Arsenal’s squad depth that a player who scored 24 goals last term is now effectively a Plan B for them, and it is perhaps a sign of good things to come that Wenger has had to do with some of his most consistent performers yet Arsenal are unbeaten since their opening day loss against Liverpool. On Saturday Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was impressive, following up his midweek League Cup double with a pinpoint cross for Sanchez’s opener. Mohammed Elneny and Kieran Gibbs were just as important as deputies for Santi Cazorla and Nacho Monreal respectively, and with Granit Xhaka set to return from suspension, it’s hard to remember when Arsenal were this strong as a unit.
The obvious caveat is that this came against Sunderland – statistically the worst team ever at this stage of any Premier League season – and that sterner tests lie in wait in the coming weeks particularly as their next two league games are against arch-rivals Tottenham and Manchester United. If Arsenal are to banish the ghosts of failed title pursuits, they will need the twin goal threats and varying approaches offered by Sanchez and Giroud, and while it is too early to ascertain if this season will go the way of their ultimately doomed challenges of years past, the early signs indicate that Wenger’s side have added a new tactical edge and ruthlessness that is capable of offering them an alternative route to Premier League success.
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